Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Squelching


I found this piece of Ben Wilson's chewing gum art in Hampstead over the weekend. I can't quite figure out what's going on there -- it looks like a woman attacking someone with a vacuum cleaner?! Surely that can't be right.

It was supposed to freeze on Sunday evening, and I went out just before bed and covered the banana tree. (Over Dave's protestations -- "It'll be fine," he insisted.) And sure enough, when I woke up Monday morning, there was no frost and the bird bath was entirely liquid. (We did have snow flurries, though.) Last night, with more freezing temperatures predicted, I didn't bother with the banana -- and this morning there's ice on the birdbath and frost on the lawn, and my phone says it's 30º F (-1º C).

I just can't win.


I think Dave's right, though -- the banana will be fine. It looks like it's been through a World War, but I imagine when spring really does finally get here it will recover.

You may have read that our lockdown began easing yesterday. The government allowed non-essential retail and some services, like hairdressers, to reopen, as well as restaurants and pubs with outdoor seating. Dave, who has been grumbling about his long hair for months, had an appointment with his barber right after school and came home well-shorn and much happier. It's been interesting to watch everyone walk around with early-'70s hair, but I guess we will all tonsorially modernize now.

I was surprised to read yesterday that we in the UK have "lived under the most strenuous level of government restrictions for the longest period of time in the world," according to The New York Times. I mean, I know our three lockdowns have cumulatively lasted for what seems like forever, but I didn't realize we were so different from what other countries were doing. And yet we still had relatively high death rates, at least until vaccinations came along. Go figure.

I don't even remember what it's like to walk into a department store or go to a pub. Part of me wonders why I would ever do that, when I could just come home and order from Amazon and have a glass of wine on the couch. It's all part of re-acclimating to social situations, I suppose.

Dave and I just finished Season Six of "The Walking Dead." We've taken to watching several of our shows with the closed captioning on, because the dialogue can be hard to hear -- and this cracks me up because my dad and stepmother used to do the same thing and I always wondered why. Now I get it! Anyway, in "The Walking Dead," whenever a character stabs a zombie in the head (which is how you have to kill zombies, just FYI), the closed captioning reads, "flesh squelching." It intrigues me from a linguistic point of view. I associate "squelch" with radio transmissions -- a setting on receivers that allows us to adjust reception. But apparently it also means "a soft sucking sound made when pressure is applied to liquid or mud."

So there you go -- the word of the day. Let's all try to use it in a sentence while we're out and about. 😀

48 comments:

David said...

Squelching. Lovely word. Been using it (when appropriate) for years and years, like since - forever. Doesn't everyone? My favourite word in that genre (is there a genre?)is "discombobulated", which is the way I have been feeling this past week while waiting for my first vaccination. Which has now happened (AstroZeneca), with only minimal and brief muscle aches over the following 24 hours.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Don't leave it too late to get your own post-lockdown hair appointment booked Steve. Why not go for a different style? Have you heard of the "mullet"? And no, I am not talking about a fish. Think George Michael at the peak of his fame.

Frances said...

I had my hair cut and coloured yesterday at 10 am...... I think I was her first customer after lockdown! She comes to the house which is nice as I have always hated hairdressing salons.
I can't see you with a mullet as suggested by YP !! Has he ever seen you?

crafty cat corner said...

I always associate squelching with getting your foot stuck in a muddy puddle like I did once on a country walk leaving my shoe behind, lol
Briony
x

Moving with Mitchell said...

"Flesh squelching.” One of the reasons I don't like zombie shows. That chewing gum art has me curious. To me it looks like someone vacuuming up someone else who is holding a cell phone and giving off an aura of evil spirits... or something (probably more "or something).

Debby said...

My feet make squelching noises in the deep mud. I much prefer that to stabbing zombies in the head.

Bob said...

I've heard of squelching a rumor, but this flesh squelching stuff kinda makes me queasy ...

The Bug said...

I immediately thought of you walking through the mud when I read the title of your post. You bringing zombies into it was very unexpected!

Marty said...

I'm smiling at the image of people in random parts of the world obediently working squelch into their conversation today.

Anonymous said...

I associate the word squelch with suppressing as in squelching dissent. I never once thought of zombies! Now I know.

Red said...

I wish the closure was much greater here. we've had high numbers of cases.

Sharon said...

I'm not sure how I'm going to use the word squelching in a conversation today but, I'll give it a try! :-). That banana tree does look rather sickly at the moment. I hope you are right about it rebounding.

Ms. Moon said...

Ha! We have closed captions on everything! We are definitely elderly now.
"Flesh Squelching" would make a great band name.

Edna B said...

Some time ago, I accidentally turned on the closed captioning on my TV. I left it on because it made it easier for me to follow a program when I wasn't catching all the words. And here I was thinking that I was the only one! Squelch is a great word. I've heard it used to "squelch a rumor." I put a little house plant outside a few days ago because I thought it was warm enough. I brought it in "dead" a couple days ago. I guess Spring hasn't quite got a hold on things yet. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

ellen abbott said...

yes, the banana will be fine. mine suffered much worse freezing temps for longer and they are popping back up. I caved before the vaccines and got my hair cut in November, could because of our R governor who doesn't care how many Texans die but the husband waiting til two weeks after his vaccine and he looks much better now, still looks like an old man but just not as scraggly. and I need to do the closed captioning thing as I can hear the sound OK but have a hard time understanding what they are saying.

Ellen D. said...

I had to google Ben Wilson because I had no idea what that was about. Who would have thought of painting on globs of gum? Another unusual find for you! Thanks!

Margaret said...

I'd heard the word but not in conjunction with flesh. (why I'll never watch the Walking Dead) I was happy to get my first hair trim last week but she thinned and layered it too much, such that it is wispy in some spots and looks a bit too much like a mullet.

Tasker Dunham said...

Chewing gum art? Phoned up 2 weeks ago to book my haircut - 9.45 yesterday morning.

Sabine said...

I hope the banana recovers. We stupidly planted out a few tomatoes - they are usually growing in pots in the greenhouse, but this year, we thought . . . and lost them in an unexpected frosty night.

Allison said...

That's a good use of the word squelch.

Susan said...

I don't know if I will be able to get that 'sound of flesh squelching' out of my mind now.

Anonymous said...

Chewing gum art sounds potentially messy. While we would squelch through the mud with our gum boots on, I think you would squelch through the mud in your wellies.

Janie Junebug said...

I had COVID hair until December, when I couldn't stand it anymore and got it cut. I'll get it cut again after I've had the second dose of the vaccine. We haven't had lockdowns to the extent that you have, but I'm sure we should have. I never thought of attacking someone with a vacuum cleaner. It might be a good idea. I feel uncomfortable about the idea of going back to shopping in departments stores or going to restaurants.

Squelchingly,
Janie

jenny_o said...

I think it's not flesh that would be squelching if you stabbed someone in the head, zombie or not :) When I read your title I was thinking, that's a word I like . . . but now I think it's been ruined for me forever!

I've been enjoying the Olga pictures so much, by the way. Her face is so expressive.

Steve Reed said...

"Discombobulated" is a very good word, and one I use frequently! (As it often applies to me.) Glad you got your vaccine!

Steve Reed said...

I have never been so happy that I cut my own hair as during this lockdown period.

Steve Reed said...

Nice to get it done at home! Someone posted signs here saying they'd come to our house to give a haircut but Dave refused to call. He wanted his regular barber.

Steve Reed said...

Yes, British mud would definitely squelch!

Steve Reed said...

Your interpretation is as good as mine! That's pretty close to what I see too.

Steve Reed said...

You wouldn't if a zombie was coming after you!

Steve Reed said...

Oh, GOOD POINT! I have heard of squelching in that sense.

Steve Reed said...

I like keeping everyone off balance. LOL

Steve Reed said...

I'm sure something in your neck of the woods must be squelching. The sand on Venice Beach, maybe?

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I totally forgot about that use of squelch, but you're right!

Steve Reed said...

I think our lockdowns helped but we still had quite a few cases.

Steve Reed said...

I know, it looks terrible, doesn't it?! I'll post a progress report after it's had some time to recover.

Steve Reed said...

The closed captions are FANTASTIC! I don't know how I lived without them before. I was always turning to Dave and saying "What did he say?" And Dave would shrug. And we'd go on.

Steve Reed said...

Your plant might bounce back if you've brought it back in, depending on what kind it is. Sometimes even if they've been frozen they'll regrow.

Steve Reed said...

The bananas we had in Florida (probably like yours) used to freeze to the ground. This one, which is supposed to be hardier, seems to keep its trunks or stalks.

Steve Reed said...

It takes all kinds! LOL! I've written about Ben Wilson before. Probably if you do a blog search using his name you'll see my other posts.

Steve Reed said...

The good thing about hair is, it always bounces back!

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, he chooses a smashed, dried bit of gum on the sidewalk and paints a picture on it. Pretty amazing, actually.

Steve Reed said...

This has been a terrible year for getting plants launched! I'm holding back all my seedlings waiting for warmer weather.

Steve Reed said...

Right?! We were amused.

Steve Reed said...

Ha! I guess it's a good way to describe to the hearing-impaired what's going on on the show. Wouldn't want people to miss the gruesomeness of the zombie apocalypse!

Steve Reed said...

If I had wellies! I've never bought a pair, surprisingly. I just have shoes that work well in mud.

Steve Reed said...

The ironic thing about the UK is that despite all our lockdowns, our Covid numbers haven't been that great. So either people are ignoring the lockdowns or we had a very unhealthy populace to begin with. (Probably both.)

Steve Reed said...

Sorry to ruin your squelch!